Game of Thronestakes place in an expansive world in which the winner of the Iron Throne controls almost an entire continent, excluding only the land beyond the Wall. Though referred to as the Seven Kingdoms, in reference to the seven independent countries that existed beforeAegon the Conquerortook control, there are actually nine different regions in Westeros since Aegon carved out his own territory and separated the Riverlands and the Iron Islands to keep up appearances afterhe failed to conquer Dorne. The territories as they exist inGame of Thronesare the Crownlands, the North, the Vale, the Riverlands, the Iron Islands, Dorne, the Reach, the Stormland, and the Westerlands.
The title sequence ofGame of Thronestakes the audience through the map, visiting the major locations of the story and even venturing across the Narrow Sea. In offering a whirlwind tour of Westeros, the title sequence highlights the most notable landmarks, including King’s Landing, Winterfell, the Wall, and many others. Though the sequence changes, it shows the main places and hits most of the countries (though even the missing ones are important). Each territory in Westeros has a lord to lead them, all of whom are easily recognizable from the series. The general layout can be confusing, but it is important to understand asthe franchise grows.
Game Of Thrones
Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
The Crownlands
Perhaps the most obvious of the territories is the Crownlands. On the eastern side and roughly in the center of the Kingdom, the Crownland surrounds Blackwater Bay and consists of the area around the capital city of King’s Landing,including Dragonstone, Driftmark, and other islands off the coast. With the region so close to the ocean, it makes sense that the bastards use the name Waters. The title sequence shows Kings Landing in every episode but occasionally jumps to Dragonstone, the ancestral home of the Targaryens and where the heir to the throne commonly resided. Once, the land was a source of dispute between the River Kings and the Storm Kings, but that ended when Aegon I established it as his own.
Afterward, this area was ruled exclusively bythe Targaryensuntil their defeat in Robert’s Rebellion, when Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) ascended the Throne. DuringGame of Thrones,theCrownlands belong to whoever controls King’s Landing, though that changes often. Yet not every Crownland Lord is loyal, as Stanis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), who proclaims himself King after the death of his brother, and many follow him. The Lords of the Crownland includethe Velaryons, who play a significant role inHouse of the Dragon, and whoever holds Dragonstone, usually the Targaryens, but inGame of Thrones,that is Stannis' seat.
The largest of Westeros' territories, the North spans the top half of the Kingdom and borders only with the Riverlands and the Wildlings' land beyond the Wall. The cold, wintery weather provides the name Snow to Northen bastards. Due to its size and importance to the story, the title sequence visits many locations in the North, including Winterfell, the Wall, the Dreadfort, Moat Caitlyn, the Last Heath, and Eastwatch. Before the Conquering,the Starksruled the Kingdom of the North and still served as the Warden of the North inGame of Thronesuntil the chaotic civil war broke out.The Starks' castle, Winterfell, is in the center of the territory. The North is the home of many familiar families, such asthe Mormonts, the Boltons, and the Reeds. And, of course, it also holds the Brothers of the Night’s Watch, who guard the Wall against the dangers beyond and do not serve the Lords or even Kings, but they have a strong relationship with the Starks.
On the eastern side of Westeros, between the Crownlands and the North, the Vale consists of mountainous terrain, providing the name Stone to the local bastards. With the Arryns of the Eyrie as the Wardens of the East, the land once the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale includes Lords such as House Royce and House Baelish – the family of Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen). Only the Arryn’s castle, the Eyrie, appears in the title sequence, but it is one of the more unique castles with its moon door and sky cells, which can be seen whenTyrion (Peter Dinklage) is imprisoned and tried by Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie). The area is also home to the mountain clans, whom Tyrion convinces to follow him. Though beautiful, the area is tortuous to travel, yet that doesn’t stop many characters from trying it.
The Riverlands
Largely landlocked between the Vale and the Westlands, the Riverlands also borders the North, the Crownlands, and the Reach. House Tully is the Lord Paramount of the Trident, but they were never the royal family. The Kingdom of the Isles and the Rivers was controlled by House Hoare, which was destroyed in the conquering, allowing the Targaryens to raise the Tullys to the position of liege lord.Game of Thrones’s title sequence visits three castles in the Riverlands: the Frey’s Twins,the cursed Harrenhal, and the Tully’s Riverrun. Because of Walder Frey (David Bradley) and his many children, the bastard name Rivers is often used in the series. The Riverlands is also the home to the Blackwoods and, inHouse of the Dragon,the Strongs who hold Harrenhal.
The Iron Islands
Off the west coast, near the North, the Riverlands, and Westerlands, the Iron Islands are made up of a cluster of islands, making it a kingdom of seafarers. Originally part of the Kingdom of Isles and Rivers along with the Riverlands, Aegon separated them into their own regain to make a seventh kingdom while Dorne remained independent. In doing so, the first Targaryen King made the Greyjoys the Lords of the Iron Islands, though the family has attempted to become a sovereign nation on multiple occasions. The Greyjoy’s castle, Pyke, appears in the title sequence when the Iron Islands become important toGame of Thrones’sstory. Few non-GreyjoyIronborn play a significant role in the series, but there are several other lords on the islands. Though, like the other kingdoms, the Iron Islands have a distinctive bastard name (Pyke), they are largely different, serving the Drowned God and resending the rest of Westeros.
The southernmost kingdom and the final region to become a part of the Targaryen’s lands, Dorne has a proud history.Conquered by the legendary warrior-queen, Nymeria, Dorne’s leaders, the Martells, use the titles of Prince and Princess in difference to her. Aegon failed in conquering Dorne, but it joined the Targaryen empire through a marriage pact between the Martells and Targaryens. When Dorne appears inGame of Thrones’s title sequence, it is labeled only as Dorne, though it’s likely the image depicts Dorne’s capital Sunspear as the seat of the Martells. Dorne is unique among the Seven Kingdoms for many reasons, but the culture is one of the more distinctive, likely due to the many years it was not under Targaryen control. With a more sexually liberated society, the bastard name, Sand, is not nearly as looked down upon as those in the rest of Westeros. Though the plotline in Dorne is highly criticized inGame of Thrones, the character ofOberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal)is praised.
The Reach can be found on the southern end of the west coast bordering the Westerlands, the Riverlands, the Crownlands, the Stormlands, and Dorne, but it continues well inland. The Lord Paramount of the Mander and the Wardens of the South is the Tyrells, who received their castle Highgarden after Aegon’s Conquest killed the last of House Gardener, the King of the Reach. Sometimes referred to as the Green Realm, the bastards name, Flowers, fits with the plant theme. The Reach is also home to House Tarly,House Hightower, and theMaesters of the Citadel. Though the Tyrells are important to the show, only Old Town, the Hightower’s city, appears in the title sequence as the Lord Paramount’s family spend most of their time away from home in Kings Landing as Margaery (Natalie Dormer) married first Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and then Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman).
The Stormlands
Just south of the Crownlands lies the Stormlands, the ancestral home of the Baratheons. It sits on the east coast, boarding the Crownlands, the Reach, and Dorne. Though House Baratheon was established in Aegon’s conquest, the Storm Kings, House Durrandon, is in their blood as Orys Baratheon married the last Storm King’s daughter and became the Lord of Storm’s End and the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. The region uses the obvious bastard name: Storm. The Stormlands never appear in the title sequence, as the most prevalent Baratheons live elsewhere. After Robert’s Rebellion, Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony) took control of the Baratheon home, while his brothers took the Targaryen’s land. Other notable Lords of the Stormlands include the families Tarth and Selmy, notably the homes of the capable warriors Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) and Barristan (Ian McElhinney), respectively.
The Westerlands
On the west coast, bordering the Reach and the Riverlands is the Westerlands, which was once the Kingdom of the Rock.The Lannisterswere once the Kings of the Rock but now hold the title of Wardens of the West. Like the Stormlands, the Westerlands do not appear in the title sequence, as the Lannisters are often elsewhere. Casterly Rock belongs to Tywin (Charles Dance), but he spends most of his time away from home helping his daughter Cersei (Lena Headey) take over King’s Landing. Unlike most regions, the bastard name isn’t the most obvious choice, being Hill rather than anything related to the Kingdom’s name. Other notable Houses in the area are the Paynes, Podrick’s (Daniel Portman) family, andthe Westerlings, who, in the books, include Robb Stark’s wife.
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